Jacquie van der Westhuizen, Drakensberg field officer for the African Crane Conservation Programme, EWT and ICF partnership describes a conservation drama and looks for the silver lining. Left: This was the X-ray taken showing her broken leg just under the … Read more
This excellent total was recorded by Christopher Willis on a recent trip to the reserve. Big-eye Small Ringlet (Paternympha loxophthalma) – photograph taken by Christopher Willis on a recent visit to Verloren Valei Christopher Willis, Chief Director: National Botanical Gardens … Read more
By Catherine Kühn – Biodiversity Disclosure Project Manager, Endangered Wildlife trust Marking the International Day for Biological Diversity in May was a reminder to all that business and biodiversity are deeply interconnected. The theme this year was “Harmony with Nature … Read more
BirdLife South Africa has released two handy guides to using BirdLasser and iNaturalist. … Read more
Editor’s note: This inspiring story speaks to the role that protected areas like Verloren Valei play in preserving less-obvious fauna and flora. As the locus of at least two endemic butterflies and surely some plants, we must never relax our … Read more
Christopher Willis and David Edge outline the reproductive behaviour of Verloren Valei’s celebrated endemic butterfly. Mating pair of Dullstroom Blue (formerly Warren’s Blue) (Photograph: Christopher Willis) Discovered by RT Warren and his family in 1988-89, and named in their honour, … Read more
A recent article paints a bleak future for this butterfly—and, by implication, for its fellow rarity, the Dullstroom Blue. Dullstroom Blue (formerly Warren’s Blue)–endemic to Verloren Valei (Photograph: Justin Bode) A recent article in Metamorphosis, the journal of the Lepidopterists’ … Read more
The Drakensberg Crag Lizard is one of the many fascinating creatures that inhabit the reserve, writes Steve Vincent. These small lizards—their scientific name is Pseudocordylus melanotus subsp. Transvaalensis—are well adapted to the rugged environment and harsh climate of Verloren Valei … Read more
Jacquie van der Westhuizen, Field Officer , African Crane Conservation Proramme – Drakensberg describes how a young chick coped with the devastating destruction of its wetland habitat. The Crane family just after the chick had flown across the wetland, all big … Read more
A fascinating and in-depth report by Ground Up looks at the factors influencing the long-term viability of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project reveals that vigorous conservation of wetlands is vital. Katse Dam (Photograph: Wikipedia) As everybody knows, the Witwatersrand is … Read more
